


Let's Talk

by Straccia_Tella



Category: Tales of Series, Tales of Zestiria
Genre: ANGST~, Adult Mikleo, All I can write is angst~ and the bits of fluff that I actually get into the story, Gen, One Shot, Post-Canon, Zaveid is the weird friend who actually has lots of good advice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-24
Updated: 2016-07-24
Packaged: 2018-07-26 13:07:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7575118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Straccia_Tella/pseuds/Straccia_Tella
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zaveid meets a familiar face when sight-seeing around Ladylake</p>
            </blockquote>





	Let's Talk

Zaveid sighed inwardly as he watched the crowds of people pass each other around Ladylake. The wind seraph had decided to travel here in hopes of running into Lailah, but no such luck. It wasn’t fun when humans couldn’t see seraphs, so he couldn’t make passing calls to the beautiful women that caught his attention. He didn’t know what he was expecting; regular people suddenly granted the sight overnight? There was no point in getting his hopes up any sooner. Still, it was so boring, not being able to communicate with humans face to face, the only way he could notify them of his presence was through gusts of wind (and even _that_ lost its appeal after a few times).  
Just as he was ready to move on in pursuit of more exciting matters, he caught sight of what appeared to be a seraph passing calmly through the crowd. They had to be a seraph because the passerby’s never acknowledged their presence- and Zaveid could tell even from behind- this one was quiet the beauty. With long white curled hair with blue tips tied up into a high ponytail and a wooden staff grasped in a gloved hand, if humans could see them, no doubt the stranger would have heads turning left and right.  
He took his time strolling up towards the seraph, adjusting the hat on his head. The closer he got, the more stunning they seemed; they looked fairly slim and seemed tall enough to reach his chin. He saw them stop to stare at a statue in the center of the plaza and the wind seraph decided to seize his chance.  
“Hey there, what business does a beautiful one such as yourself have in a place like this?”  
The minute he touched the seraph’s shoulder they turned, violet eyes widening in a look of instant recognition.  
“Zaveid?”  
He was confused; their voice didn’t sound soft-pitched like Lailah’s or cool and edged like Edna’s. It was just a bit deeper. “I’m not sure if we met somewhere before, but I wouldn’t forget a beauty like-”  
“Zaveid, it’s me,” their voice… where had he heard it before? “Here, just look at my face.”  
They turned fully to face the tall wind seraph, and he observed. Now someone was coming to mind, their face looked more familiar… Especially the eyes, and the way their hair was parted to the left- wait. An image of a comrade came to Zaveid’s mind, his stomach and heart plunged as he put two and two together.  
“Mikey-boy?” was his ventured guess.  
The water seraph gave a small grin, “Long time no see, Zaveid.”

He wanted to bury his head into Dezel’s hat, turn into the wind itself and just vanish, or preferably, be buried fully into the earth below and never come back out. This was one of the few times he wouldn’t have minded Edna being the one to carry out her threats of pummeling him deep into the ground where no light or humans could reach.  
“It was an honest mistake Zaveid, try not to beat yourself up on it,” Mikleo said poking the wind seraph’s shin with the bottom of his staff. “Even Lailah and Edna were surprised when they saw me like this.”  
After finally getting over the shock and regaining his composure (but none of his pride), Zaveid looked at Mikleo. It seemed almost like yesterday that this guy was a little pipsqueak who always took things seriously, now he seemed more… serene and mature.  
“What are you doing in Ladylake? I can’t remember the last time we met up, weren’t you a lot smaller back then?”  
He placed a hand on the younger male’s head for emphasis and it was subsequently batted away.  
“Hey, I’ve grown you know, don’t make fun of me.” He crossed his arms as he looked around the town. “I’m here on personal business, but I never expected to run into you. What’s your story?”  
“What, little old me; I’m just doing some sight-seeing on what’s changed around here, kiddo.”  
Mikleo seemed to doubt that but shrugged it off. “Well, I’m heading off.”  
“Going somewhere? Let me come along.” He offered and Mikleo looked unsure.  
“I’d rather go by myself, that way you’re less likely to spread rumors about me when you get the chance.”  
Zaveid acted shocked, “Hey, that’s low, I’ll let you know I’m a man of honor, you can trust me!”  
Again, Mikleo wore a face that seemed to doubt the wind seraph’s words, but shook his head. “Look, I’ve got something important to do. You’re free to come along if you wish, but please keep your thoughts to yourself.”  
Zaveid tipped his hat, “Give you my word, Mikey-boy.”  
Mikleo nodded and began to walk off, with Zaveid following the younger seraph away from the crowd and towards a manor. It was easy to get past the guards, as they couldn’t be seen so they could casually stroll on in.  
“Gotta admit, times like these I appreciate people not being able to see us. We could just waltz into wherever we pleased.”  
“Yeah, there are perks to being a seraph…” Mikleo replied in an absent voice, something the wind seraph took note of. The water seraph’s eyes seemed melancholic when he spoke those words, but he decided not to harp him on this.  
They walked further in and stopped in front of a gravestone amongst a mass of white flowers.  
“Hey… isn’t this?” Zaveid stopped in his tracks as Mikleo ventured forward.  
“Yes,” he knelt down and gently traced a gloved hand across the epitaph written into the hard rock, reading: _“Here lies Alisha Diphda, the valiant and benevolent knight of Hyland”_. “It’s been too long since I last visited Alisha’s grave.”  
“So… this was the ‘business’ you had to attend to?”  
The water seraph was quiet as he bowed his head and closed his eyes, lost in the silence. Zaveid didn’t dare disturb him and instead took off his hat, placing it over his chest as he looked at the stone. Without Mikleo to talk to, Zaveid began going through the memories he had of Alisha and even Rose. The princess was strong willed and loved her kingdom dearly almost as much as any human he came across; when she had passed, he along with the others attended her funeral despite not being able to be seen by humans. Rose had died before Alisha, but not before passing on the duty of the Shepherd and Sorey’s dream. Both women were filled with such spark and determination in their lives, the wind seraph was sad to see them leave this world… but such was life. Seraphs didn’t have that kind of mortal clock, because of that, Zaveid had seen many lives of human companions pass before his eyes like grains of sand.  
When Mikleo finally moved again, he reached for something in his robes and pulled out an orb of ice. Zaveid tilted his head to see a small bouquet of flowers frozen inside and wondered how powerful he had become in these past years.  
“These are flowers from Elysia,” Mikleo’s voice was so quiet and soft, as if he were talking to a child. “They were blooming so majestically and full of light, I thought these would be perfect for you.”  
He placed the flowers down at the foot of the gravestone and released the enchantment that froze the plants in time. The water evaporated and turned into a thin mist, casting a small rainbow as it caught the light.  
“I also gave Rose some flowers as well… although I wonder if it would have been better to just leave something else.” Mikleo chuckled to himself and passed a hand through his hair. “Also, I never got to tell you this the last time I saw you, but… thank you. For all that you did for us, and for him. Thank you, Alisha.”  
He passed a hand over the stone again and Zaveid saw that brief look in his eyes. Was it a face of regret? No, it was something deeper than that. It was the same expression he saw when he caught Mikleo glancing at that column of light when they were resting at an inn once.  
_Huh_ , Zaveid thought and pushed Dezel’s hat a bit lower over his eyes. _So paying your respects was just an excuse to run away._  
Mikleo stood up, dusting his hands as if he were preparing to leave. Despite that, he looked like he wasn’t going to move any time soon, so Zaveid took charge. He pulled his hat back and slung an arm over the young man’s shoulder, feeling Mikleo slouch slightly beneath the new weight.  
“Come on, let’s have a change in scenery, I gotta a few stories I want to share with you.”  
“I suppose, I don't have anywhere else I need to be right now,” the young seraph sighed and the two walked off leaving the area uninhabited once again, save for a young child walking towards the stone and examining the flowers that hadn’t been there before.  
“Mama,” they said, green eyes looking at the gifts with curiosity. “Did a friend come and visit Great Grandma Alisha?”

Zaveid and Mikleo were leaning against the railings of Ladylake overlooking the water that surrounded the town where they took their chatting. The story exchanging wasn’t as bad as he had predicted. They managed to share a few laughs and some insights of the change in the land, although Mikleo seemed to have more to talk about thanks to his regular ruin expeditions. He honestly tried hard to listen to the enthusiastic water seraph, but ruins didn’t interest him. Surely after all of these years Mikleo could have pursued a more interesting hobby than looking at old scriptures or carvings on walls.  
“I can’t believe how much things have changed, there’s new technology, more towns sprouting up like weeds; with humans around, the world is almost a never ending pot of surprises.” Zaveid commented when Mikleo had mentioned running into more towns on his trip here.  
“Yeah, I don’t know how to explain it but the land feels more… vibrant somehow.”  
“I guess you don’t feel the same?”  
Mikleo looked at Zaveid with mild confusion, “What do you mean?”  
“I know what you’re thinking.”  
“Really? You’re a mind reader now?” Mikleo asked, facing the water as if he were going to summon waves at any second. “Do tell.”  
“It’s about Sorey, isn’t it?” Mikleo chose to remain silent. “All these years, and he’s still sleeping. I know it’s gotta be painful for you, since you were the closest to him than anyone else.”  
“I don’t want to discuss it.”  
“Come on, after how long are you going to act all cool and believe that you’re fine dealing with him not being here?”  
“I’ve managed this long.” Mikleo muttered and Zaveid ruffled his hair, something the young seraph didn’t take to kindly and brushed him off with a gloved hand. “Knock it off, Zaveid.”  
“Young love is always the most painful, isn’t it?”  
“I’m not sure how you of all people could understand that…” Mikleo muttered and stared at the water again, Zaveid was a bit impressed that the seraph didn’t splash him yet.  
“Hey, don’t be deceived by my appearances! I’ve had my fair share of romances in my lifetime Mikey-boy.” Zaveid declared, dramatically putting a hand over his heart as if Mikleo had stabbed him.  
“But your right… it is painful.” Mikleo said, his eyes started to become distant again. “Every passing year I start to wonder whether or not I’m waiting in vain, and I try to find ways to cope, or I just run away hoping to do something to take my mind off of things. Almost everything I do was something we did together, ruin exploring, reading, it’s like I lost a part of myself and I’m searching everywhere for it. But no matter where I look, I never seem to get any closer.”  
Zaveid watched the way Mikleo’s posture relaxed slightly, and noticed an orange feather tied to his waist. More mementos meant more memories and that lead to more pain.  
“I know it was his choice, and we wouldn’t be here if Sorey didn’t sacrifice himself-,”  
“Okay I think I’ve heard enough.” Zaveid interrupted and Mikleo looked slightly annoyed. “You’re right about Sorey choosing to sacrifice himself to let all of this happen, but what about you? What about the choices you’ve been making?”  
“Now you’re worried about my decision-making in life?” Mikleo asked and Zaveid laughed.  
“We may be seraphs who can live almost indefinitely, but even there are moments where we’re filled with regret at not doing something when we had the choice.” The wind seraph tipped his hat over his eyes, grinning to himself. “I once had a friend who I made a promise to, and as you know, I never go back on my word. I had so many chances to finishes the job, to fulfill that promise, but I got cold feet, I was weak, and I got scared. ‘Would I be able to live with myself if I did this’, I wondered. The guilt ate at me, clouded my eyes; so I turned to destroying the Hellions around me in order to relieve that anger, to find something I felt that I could do within my own power. I was stupid, yeah, but it was my choice. In the end, I still managed to fulfill that promise, even though I took detours from it, trying to avoid the inevitable outcome. Do you see where I’m getting at, Mikey-boy?”  
“I’m afraid I fail to see where the conversation is heading,” the water seraph sighed, shaking his hair so that his snowy white locks ruffled in the wind like bird feathers.  
“Well, to cut it short, would Sorey have wanted you to mope years and years on end thinking that he may not return?”  
“I was not _moping_!” Mikleo ejaculated.  
“You’re missing the point, although I suppose I didn’t make a really clear one,” Zaveid replied and nervously shifted his arms as he saw the water bubble. “He made a promise to you, didn’t he? Knowing Sorey, he wouldn’t ever go against that promise, so don’t try and pick out the negative things that could happen. You’re still here now, and I’m sure Sorey would want you to see this new world through your own eyes, to explore and discover new things because he would hate it if he found that all you did with your time was wonder if he’d break your promise.”  
Mikleo dropped his eyes down again, before Zaveid could hear a stifled giggle, “Who knew you could actually give some sound advice.”  
“Argh, the only thing that changed about you was your height!” Zaveid groaned and remembered something. “Oh yeah, here I have a gift for you.”  
He reached into his pockets and pulled out a small orb, and then handing it over to Mikleo. The water seraph took it into his gloved palm, looking at the glassy surface.  
“A memory orb?”  
“I found it when I was traveling this way, but I have no use for it, I figured you would have better uses for it than me.”  
Mikleo stared at it, and Zaveid wondered what he was seeing in that memory. He watched the younger male grin, pocketed it away and turned to look up at Zaveid.  
“Thank you.”  
“For the memory orb?”  
“Well, that and the advice, I feel a bit better talking to you.”  
“Just don’t make this a regular thing,” Zaveid said. “Although I like talking to beauties, there’s only so much of your moping I can listen to, Mikleo.”  
“For the last time-!”  
“Joking, that was a joke!” Zaveid held his hands out, he felt the air around him become colder in the span of a second, and he wasn’t sure whether or not he wanted to turn into an icicle that day. “Man, you’re just as serious as ever.”  
“I’m going to head off now to meet up with Lailah,” Mikleo said and Zaveid’s senses immediately zapped to attention.  
“Lailah’s here?”  
“I met her outside the gate a few hours back, I’m surprise you didn’t find her already.”  
“Sly girl~,” Zaveid purred, putting a hand under his chin. “She’s managed to avoid me, even when I used the best wind I could muster, she’s such a tease.”  
“Perhaps she had a good reason,” Mikleo sighed and Zaveid tossed an arm over his shoulder once more, the water seraph decided to just re-adjust to this action of camaraderie.  
“Speaking of the wind, I’m still holding you over that offer I made. If you got a message you want delivered, leave it to me.”  
Mikleo grinned, unclasping Zaveid’s arm from him, “No thank you, I think… he already knows my message.”  
“Well, let’s not waste any more time, let’s go greet the lovely Lailah!”  
“Don’t blame me if she starts ignoring you,” Mikleo laughed and the two walked off towards the gates of Ladylake. The water seraph’s shoulders feeling just a bit lighter than before.

**Author's Note:**

> Please bury me. I'm gonna die if Ufotable actually does some animation for older Mikleo and maybe even a seraph Sorey at the end of Zestiria X


End file.
